Dargate Dikes

The earthworks at Dargate aren't much to look at from a distance - just a series of low grassy banks cutting through the North Yorkshire countryside near Pickering. Walk closer and you realise you're standing on something genuinely old: Iron Age defensive ditches, possibly dating back 2,500 years. These dikes were serious business, dug deep to keep something - or someone - out. Or in, depending on your theory.

Archaeology types will find this properly interesting. The scale becomes apparent once you're actually walking along the banks, tracing how they meander across the landscape. It's the kind of site that rewards a bit of patience and imagination. Kids might get restless unless they're already keen on ancient Britain - there's no visitor centre, no explanations pinned to posts, just the raw earthworks themselves.

The site is free and accessible, though there's no formal parking or facilities that I'm aware of. Allow half an hour to an hour depending on how thoroughly you want to explore the banks. Best visited on a dry day; it gets muddy otherwise.

If you're staying at Prospect House Farm Glamping nearby, this fits nicely into a broader ramble around Pickering's archaeology and medieval history. You could combine it with walking further afield across the North York Moors. It's not a destination in itself, but it's well worth the detour if you're already in the area.